Category Archives: aatmaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 13

02 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in 13.32, aakaasham, aatmaa, chapter 13 verse 32, dehe, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, sarvagatam, sarvatra, saukshmyaat, tathaa, upalipyate, yathaa

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yathaa sarvagatam saukshmyaadaakaasham nopalipyate |
sarvatraavasthito dehe tathaatmaa nopalipyate || 32 ||
 
Just as all-pervading space, being subtle, is not tainted, so is the self, situated everywhere in any body, not tainted.
 
yathaa : just as
sarvagatam : all pervading
saukshmyaat : being subtle
aakaasham : space
na : not
upalipyate : tainted
sarvatra : everywhere
avasthitaha : situated
dehe : body
tathaa : so
aatmaa : self
na : not
upalipyate : tainted
 
Many scriptures, including the Srimad Bhagavatam, describe the creation of the five great elements. Space was created first, followed by air, fire, water and then earth, each more tangible and visible than the one preceding it. Space, therefore, is the subtlest of elements. Its main property is indivisibility. We may put up walls and differentiate “my room” from “your room”, but the wall does not actually divide space at all. The wall is an upaadhi, something that mentally limits space, but cannot ever limit space in reality.
 
Another property of space that it is unaffected by whatever it contains. You can throw dust, water, glue, perfume, odour, anything at all into space, yet it remains unaffected. The air in a room may get affected by perfume or odour, not space. But more fundamentally, space provides existence to everything. Without space, no object can ever exist.
 
Shri Krishna says that the self is similar to space in these aspects. Like space is as though divided into rooms, the self is one but appears as though residing differently in different bodies. Like space never gets tainted by whatever is thrown at it, the self never gets impacted by the results, reactions, experiences and consequences of any action. All actions and reactions stay in the realm of Prakriti. And when we say statements like “this pot is round”, we should note that we cannot use the word “is” without realizing that the “is” is the “sat” or existence aspect of the self.
 
How should we bring this teaching into our life? Ultimately, all of us are craving for independence of one form or the other. For instance, the incessant drive to earn more wealth is towards gaining financial independence. Shri Krishna says that once we know that the self in us, the “I” in us is totally unaffected by any reaction or experience of the world, we will gain the highest and utmost level of independence, which is moksha or liberation. We just have to work at removing the ignorance of our true nature, which can only happen if we disassociate from Prakriti and associate with Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 10

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.20, aadihi, aashaya, aatmaa, aham, anta, bhootaanaam, cha, chapter 10 verse 20, eva, gudaakesha, madhyam, sarvabhoota, stithaha

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ahamaatmaa gudaakesha sarvabhootaashayastithaha |
ahamaadishcha madhyam cha bhootaanaamanta eva cha || 20 ||
 
I am the self, established in the hearts of all beings, O Gudakesha. I am the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings.
 
aham : I
aatmaa : self
gudaakesha : O Gudakesha
sarvabhoota : all beings
aashaya : heart
stithaha : established
aham : I
aadihi : beginning
madhyam : middle
cha : and
bhootaanaam : of the beings
anta : end
eva : also
 
Addressing Arjuna as Gudaakesha, the conqueror of sleep, Shri Krishna begins to describe the 72 expressions of vibhootis of Ishvara from this shloka onwards. He lists the two most important ones first. He says that Ishvara is the self, the “I” that is in the hearts of every being in the universe. Ishvara is also the start, middle and end of all beings in the universe.
 
So what exactly does “self” mean? Let us try to understand its opposite meaning first. When we treat a thing or a person as something different from us, something external to us, then we are creating a subject-object relationship where the subject is our “I” and the object is “him” or “her”.
 
For instance, if we take an acquaintance out to dinner, for example, we may ask him to pay his bill separately. There is a sense of separateness between us and the acquaintance. Separating, externalizing, objectifying – all this is the opposite of self-hood.
 
But if we take our spouse or our child to dinner, we don’t even think twice to pay for their dinner. This is because we do not consider a spouse or a child different or external to us. The sense of self-hood is greater here than with a stranger or with an acquaintance. Shri Krishna says that when this sense of selfhood expresses itself in our hearts, we should know that it is Ishvara’s primary expression. If we can remember this constantly, if we can treat everything and every one as no different than ourselves, we do not have to remember any other expression of Ishvara. We are done.
 
So what is the practical implication of understanding Ishvara in this manner? Our sense of I-ness and my-ness automatically drops. There will be nothing in us that asserts “my will”, “my plan”, “my thinking”, “I am going to do this” and so on. It will all become Ishvara’s will, Ishvara’s plan, Ishvara’s thinking, Ishvara’s doing. All worries and anxieties will disappear because the “I” who worries is no longer present.
 
If we are not able to comprehend Ishvara as our own self, then Shri Krishna provides another expression of Ishvara. He says that we should think of Ishvara as the one who creates, sustains and dissolves all the names and forms in the universe, just like the ocean creates, sustains and dissolves all waves. If we can think in this manner, Ishvara becomes all-pervading, ever present at all times.
 
Now, thinking Ishvara as the self, or as the beginning, middle and end of all beings, is difficult when we are beginners. For most of us, it is easier to see Ishvara in tangible people and objects. We will see those types of expressions in the following shlokas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 9

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 9.5, aatmaa, aishvaram, bhootaani, bhootabhaavanaha, bhootabhrit, bhootasthaha, cha, chapter 9 verse 5, mama, matsthaani, me, na, pashya, yogam

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na cha matsthaani bhootaani pashya me yogamaishvaram |
bhootabhrinna cha bhootastho mamaatmaa bhootabhaavanaha || 5 ||
 
But, neither do all beings reside in me. Behold my divine yoga! I am the sustainer and creator of all beings, but my self is not contained in (those) beings.
 
na : nor
cha : but
matsthaani : reside in me
bhootaani : all beings
pashya : behold
me : my
yogam : yoga
aishvaram : divine
bhootabhrit : sustainer of beings
na : not
cha : and
bhootasthaha : contained in beings
mama : my
aatmaa : self
bhootabhaavanaha : creator of beings
 
Shri Krishna takes the argument of the prior shloka one step further. He says that what we see through our eyes, hear through our nose, touch through our skin is just a series of names and forms. It is a divine power of Ishvara, just like the skill of a magician. These names and forms appear as if they are created, sustained and destroyed by Ishvara, but in reality, there is no such thing.
 
We notice that the first statement “all beings do not reside in me” contradicts the statement in the last shloka “all beings are based in me.” This is because each statement is made from a different perspective, based on our level of understanding.
 
If we think that the world of names and forms is real, then Ishvara says that all beings are based in him. It is like the little girl thinking that the foam and the waves in the ocean are real entities.
 
But, if we advance our understanding, if we know that the world of names and forms is a play of Ishvara, then he says that none of those beings, those names and forms, reside in him. The illusion of the magician does not reside in the magician, because an illusion cannot reside in something real. That is why Shri Krishna says that Ishvara’s self is not contained in all beings.
 
Now, even though we have this knowledge, will still see, hear, touch, feel and taste the world. Those forms in the world will be created, survive, and eventually dissolve. Our near and dear ones will prosper, but will also leave us one day. All of this is a play of Ishvara’s maayaa. To this end, he asserts that he is the creator and sustainer of these names and forms.
 
As an example, we look up at the sky and observe that it is blue in colour. We know that the blue colour is just an illusion caused by the scattering of light waves. However, even after we know this, our eyes still report the color of the sky as blue. Similarly, Shri Krishna urges us to recognize that Ishvara’s divine power of maayaa, his “home theatre system”, creates all the names and forms that our lives are made up of.
 
So then, what is the essence of these two key shlokas? Our senses will always report names and forms to our mind and intellect. If we know that they are all illusory names and forms, we will gain liberation. If we get sucked into thinking that they are real, we will be trapped in their apparent reality.
 
This teaching requires further elaboration. To that end, Shri Krishna provides an illustration in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 7

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.17, aasthitaha, aatmaa, anuttamaam, chapter 7 verse 18, eva, gatim, hi, ite, jnyaanee, maam, matam, me, saha, sarva, tu, udaaraaha, yuktaatmaa

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udaaraaha sarva evaite jnyaanee tvaatmaiva me matam |
aasthitaha sa hi yuktaatmaa maamevaanuttamaam gatim || 18 ||
 
All those are certainly sincere, but only the wise one is my own self, in my opinion. For, he engages to become established in me only as the ultimate goal.
 
udaaraaha : sincere
sarva : all
eva : certainly
ite : those
jnyaanee : the wise one
tu : but
aatmaa : self
eva : only
me : my
matam : opinion
aasthitaha : established
saha : he
hi : for
yuktaatmaa : he engages
maam : me
eva : only
anuttamaam : ultimate
gatim : goal
 
So far, Shri Krishna enumerated four types of devotees and singled out one of them, the wise one, as the most special type of devotee. This is because the wise devotee does not approach Ishvara for something else. He approaches Ishvara to gain only Ishvara and nothing else. Here, Shri Krishna adds another reason for singling out the wise devotee as special. The wise devotee considers Ishvara as his own self and not as another object.
 
First, let us look at the sense of oneness aspect. What is different between a good friend and an acquaintance? There is always a sense of “otherness” between ourselves and the acquaintance, but there is a sense of oneness with the good friend. We see this in a lot of proverbs: “a friend in need is a friend indeed”, “my house is your house” on so on. The ultimate closeness with a friend is when we do not see any difference between doing something for ourselves, and doing something for our friend. In other words, we see our friend as our own self.
 
Similarly, whenever we expect something from God, we are by definition treating him as someone different from our own self. Shri Krishna says that he prefers if we treat him as our own self. Such kind of devotion, where the seeker plants himself in Ishvara day in and day out, and melts his existence into Ishvara’s cosmic existence, is the greatest kind of devotion. This is also known as ekabhakti or advaita, where there is no duality between devotee and Ishvara.
 
However, the reality is different. Most of us consider Ishvara as different than ourselves. One colourful illustration of this is found in the Hindi phrase “bhee aur hee siddhanta” which means “also philosophy” vs “only philosophy”. In other words, we love material objects and Ishvara “also”. Shri Krishna says that we should love Ishvara “only” and not “also”.
 
Now, this does not mean that Ishvara gives second class treatment to the other three types of devotees. Shri Krishna says that those other devotees are “udaaraha” or sincere. Ishvara is affectionate towards all of them.
 
Having pointed out the unique aspects of the wise devotee, Shri Krishna highlights the scarcity of wise devotees in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 6

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.6, aatmaa, aatmanaa, anaatmanaha, banduhu, chapter 6 verse 6, eva, jitaha, shatrutve, shatruvat, tasya, yena

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banduraatmaatmanastasya yenatmaivaatmanaa jitaha |
anaatmanastu shatrutve vartetaatmaiva shatruvat || 6 ||

For one who has conquered oneself by oneself, only his own self is his friend. But for one who has not conquered oneself, it is only his own self that behaves in animosity, like an enemy.

banduhu : is a friend
aatmaa : oneself
aatmanaa : by oneself
tasya : for him
yena : who has
aatmaa : oneself
eva : only
aatmanaa : oneself
jitaha : conquered
anaatmanaha : for one who has not conquered oneself
tu : but
shatrutve : in a spirit of animosity
varteta : behaves
aatmaa : his own self
eva : only
shatruvat : like an enemy

As further elaboration on the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explains exactly what he means by the statement “we are our own friend and we are our own enemy”. He says that for the person that has used his intellect to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own friend. But for one who is unable to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own enemy. Note the repeated use of the word “aatmaa” or self in this shloka and the prior shloka to mean different things.

Now, what exactly is a “shatru” or enemy? It is someone who constantly creates trouble for us – a trouble maker. The mind, if not under our control, can be the world’s most creative and impactful trouble maker. We tend to think it is our boss, our mother-in-law, our neighbour and so on to be our enemy, the troublemaker. But nothing beats that mind when it comes to creating problems for us.

Consider an example. Let’s say the doctor has told us that sweets are bad for us. Now, imagine that we are at a social gathering and someone offers us a sweet. The intellect instantly knows what is the right thing to do. But the mind is different from the intellect. If the mind is not under control, it will say “go ahead, there is no harm in taking one piece of the sweet”.

At this point, we fall prey to the lower self and eat the sweet. The mind now says, “this is a very tasty sweet. I think I will have this again tomorrow, first thing in the morning”. Again we succumb to the lower self on the next day and eat the sweet again. Now, having eaten the sweet twice, the mind says “why did I eat this sweet twice? The doctor had said that it is bad for me. I hope this does not impact my health. I absolutely hate myself”.

Here is someone who caused us trouble three times – before, during and after eating the sweet. But it was not someone from the outside. It was something within – our own mind. This is why Shri Krishna calls the uncontrolled mind to be the worst enemy possible in regards to our growth. The sweet is a small example of how the uncontrolled mind creates trouble for us day in and day out. Through conditioning by the sense organs, it repeatedly reinforces our likes and dislikes without regard to what is rational.

So the message is clear: progress towards meditation is not possible unless we use karmayoga to bring our mind under control and eliminate as many desires as possible.

In the shlokas so far, Shri Krishna gave an introduction to the topic of meditation. In the rest of this chapter, he will cover all aspects of meditation including: what is meditation, what is the process, what do we have to do internally and externally, what are the obstacles and how do we remove them, and how does such an individual that is established in meditation live in this world, which is the topic he takes up next.

The world for us comprises three aspects: situations that we encounter, objects that we use, and people that we interact with. In the next three shlokas, Shri Krishna takes up each aspect and paints a picture of the meditator’s attitude towards each of these aspects.